Camille and Stosh

How We Met

I never expected to make a real connection on Tinder. I was new to Denver and was just trying to get out of the apartment and meet people. I wasn’t using it for random hookups but I definitely wasn’t taking the people I matched too seriously. I used it to kill time in the evenings and chat with someone other than my roommate. A few months after moving to Denver and a few Tinder dates later (drinks only) I matched with the person that would very quickly become the love of my life. Camille is so loved by so many people. Which made it hard to find a time when it was appropriate to ask her out. It seemed like every night was booked with her getting drinks or dinner with friends, traveling to visit friends, or someone was in Denver visiting her. She finally asked me out. I broke my drinks only rule and got dinner with her. Drinks are safe. It can be quick and easy. With dinner you are locked in for at least an hour and a half. That was not an issue on this first date. Three hours felt like 30 minuets and the night only ended when the waitress was vacuuming around our booth. I went home, laid down on my couch and told my roommate I’m going to marry that girl. He thought I was joking.

how they asked

We are very open in our relationship. We both knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. All that was left was the proposal. But when, how, and where. I love surprises but Camille did not make it easy. She had a few requests that I picked up on over the last year and half – she didn’t want it to be around a holiday or big event, she didn’t want it to be a public spectacle or with a group of our family or friends, she wanted it to be intimate in a pretty location, possibly on a hike in the mountains – but not too far because her fingers swell after long hikes and she wanted it to be photographed. I had my work cut out for me. It may sound like she is a very needy person but that couldn’t be more false. These were all things I knew she wanted and I was going to do my best to give her all of that. She would have been just as happy if none of these things happened. She loves me completely and in the end getting married is her only true request.

I started working several months before with Nicole – one of her best friends. After several elaborate misdirections (lies) which entailed a fake trip to Aspen, a fake cabin near Keystone, fake brunch at a country club (to get her to dress nice), and a lie about why we were suddenly an hour early for brunch and needed to kill some time – we ended up at Sapphire Point near Dillon Colorado. I planned it for Friday at 10 AM because I thought it would be empty. It happened to be the same time a family of 25 decided to meet to take family photos. Nicole was hiding (paparazzi style) behind the few other people that were there with a nice camera in hand. When the family finished their photo shoot, Nicole gave me a nod and I knew this was it. I knew exactly what I was going to say. I had been memorizing those lines for months. I butchered every line but I still managed to get the point across. I got down on one knee and said the four words I’d been waiting to say to her since our first date.

She immediately set down (gently dropped) our new puppy and collapsed to her knees with me. She was shaking so hard while kissing me and hugging me in disbelief. The family of 25 which neither of us really wanted there gave us a really nice cheer and applause. Some one from the family even reminded her that she never actually said “Yes.” I have, without a doubt, found my person. I didn’t think it would be from Tinder but I cannot wait to marry her in less than a year. I’m so happy I swiped right.